BIMUN Lectures on biodiversity

The Bonn International Model United Nations / Simulation Internationale des Nations Unies de Bonn (BIMUN/SINUB), an initiative founded and supported by students of the University of Bonn, is organizing a series of lectures on “Biological Diversity” this winter semester 2007/2008. All together there will be 13 lectures leading up to COP-9, dealing with:

1.Introduction: Species on Noah’s Arch diminishing?! The loss of biological diversity and the CBD (session 1)2.Conservation instead of deterioration – First objective of the CBD: “Conservation of biological diversity”a.Protected areas (session 2) b.Implementation of the CBD at national level in Germany (session 3) c.Protection of species (session 4) 2.Use without exploitation – Second objective of the CBD: “Sustainable use”a.Agriculture (session 5) b.Bio-energy (session 6) c.Forest and international trade (session 7) 3.Green gold, biopirates and market interests – Third objective of the CBD: “Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS)”a.Introduction to ABS and outline of major contentious issues (8.session 8) b.Indigenous and local communities (session 9) c.Development cooperation – ABS a tool for poverty eradication? (session 10) 4.An apocalyptic alliance? Climate change and biodiversity? (session 11)5.Green biotechnology vs. biodiversity? Biosecurity and the Cartagena-Protocol (session 12)6.To negotiate nature – insights into the operations of a conference of the parties of the CBD (sessions 13)

The lectures are meant for students, but also for the wider public in Bonn. Speakers are selected from different relevant sectors, such as international organizations, NGOs, business and science/research with a local background (i.e. organization etc. is located in Bonn).